Assignment:
Study Chapters six and seven (6 & 7) of the book entitled, The Bible
and Spiritual Criticism by A. T. Pierson.
Questions on this lesson will be based, on the following comments.

Scripture:I Kings 6:7 "And the house, (The Temple which King Solomon
built) when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before
it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any
tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."

Analogy

In our last lesson we endeavored to show by human logic the progress and
perfection of the Bible. The analogy used was a reference to the two hundred
year history and progress of the United States. Now, let us go to the Word
of God and consider an analogy God has provided us with which clearly depicts
the progress and perfection of the Scriptures.

Flawless
Framework

From the Scripture selected (I Kings 6:7) to begin this lesson,
we learn that the Temple of Solomon was erected on the Temple site without
the use of a single tool of iron. Every detail, no matter how minute had
been preplanned. It was consummate planning. Nothing was left out, nor
anything added that was not in the original plan.
There were stone quarries around Jerusalem, yet archeologists agree that
many of the stones that went into the construction of the temple were from
Tyre and Sidon. These stones bore peculiar markings which identified them
with the countries of Tyre and Sidon. Many quarters provided stones and
they were all brought to the temple site.
Much of the wood materials for the temple were brought from far away places.
Hiram, King of Tyre, gave Solomon cedar and fir trees and had his own men
to hew them according to the specified dimension. So it was, all the materials
for the construction of the temple were brought to the temple site. Then
was the temple noiselessly erected. There was nothing to do but lift the
stone and wood to their predetermined places. No mistake had been made
in cutting the stone or hewing the timbers. There was no need for an ax
or tool of iron to remake or reshape any piece of material. Every piece
of material harmoniously realized its appointed place.
The compiling of the Bible was somewhat the same. The Book of God is certainly
a temple of Truth, the only temple of absolute Truth. The words and phrases
were prepared in various mental quarries, in many different places. These
words and phrases were brought to the place of structure and they were
lifted into their Divinely predestined place without any human adjustment.

Bible
Divinely Arranged

God not only inspired the men who wrote the Scriptures, He also providentially
controlled the events and men which gave the chronological order to the
Bible in which it is today.
The Books of the Bible are not in the chronological order in which they
were composed. There is a Divine purpose in this. God is the God of system
and order. The Bible is compiled so the Truth it teaches makes an orderly
progress. The Book of Job is accepted as being the oldest Book of the Bible.
Therefore, human logic and sentiment are prone to argue because it is more
ancient, it should be first in the chronological order of the Books of
the Bible, but God thought otherwise. The Book of Genesis was written hundreds
of years after the Book of Job. Genesis is the Book of beginnings, while
the Book of Job is first chronologically, Genesis is first logically. This
order of arrangement in no way demeans the Book of Job. The Book of Revelation
is not last in the Sacred Volume because it post dates all the other Books
of the Bible or because it was last written. Revelation is the Book of
consummation. Genesis is the Book of beginnings. Genesis is the foundational
stone in the Scriptural temple, and the Book of Revelation is the cap stone.
No other arrangement will accommodate these Books. They will not fit in
any other place. They are Divinely inspired and inserted.

Bible
Truth Progressively Unveiled

The Scriptures are arranged to make Divine revelation progressive. To point
up this truth, we will cite one example. We will view the character of
Satan as it is progressively developed. We will call attention to seven
(7)great stages in the unfolding of Satan's character. The revelation
of Satan is progressive, yet in each development there is a feature that
stands out.
1.) Satan's lying character is manifested, (Genesis 3). He lied
to Eve and made God to be a liar. Christ spoke of Satan and said, "He
is a liar, and the father of it," (John 8:44).
2.) In the first two chapters of Job, Satan appears as the accuser of the
Brethren. In Revelation 12:10 Satan is called the "Accuser of
our Brethren," See also, Job 1:11.
3.) Satan is the hinderer of all that is good. I Thessalonians 2:18,
"Wherefore
we (Paul and his missionary company) would have come unto you, even
I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us."
A number of times in Scripture Satan is revealed as the "hinderer". The
Christian's every intention to glorify God will meet with hindrance from
Satan.
4.) Satan is revealed in Scripture as the Arch Tempter. Satan tempted Adam
and Even and they yielded. He tempted Christ and was defeated. But to attack
Christ with temptation has earned Satan the title of "Arch Tempter."Matthew 4:1, "Then was Jesus led of the spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."Christ met every
temptation of Satan with the Word of God and says to him, "Get thee
hence, Satan ..." (Matthew 4:10).
5.) Next we see Satan as the sifter of God's elect.Luke 22:31, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat."
Satan has never lost that desire to sift God's elect. What Christ said
to Peter in the above text (Luke 2:31), He has said to each and
every believer.
"Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat."
6.) Satan is revealed as the "Seducer" of God's people.Mark 13:22, "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise,
and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even
the elect."
These false Christ's and false prophets are sent forth by the chief seducer,
Satan himself.
In the Book of Acts chapter five we are given the account of a collusion
devised to cheat the Lord's church. Every attempt to cheat the Lord's church
is, in essence, an attempt to cheat God and God cannot be cheated. Satan
is not only a liar himself, but he is the instigator of lies. He first
gets Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)to agree to hold back
part of the money which the possession was sold for. After yielding to
the temptation to hold back part of the money, Satan has no problem in
getting Ananias and Sapphira to lie about it. They were seduced by Satan,
and Peter asks Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thy, heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost and keep back part of the price of the land?"(Acts
5:3).
7.) Satan is presented in Scripture as the Lawless one, and the author
of lawlessness. This part of Satan's character is manifested in the personal
Anti-Christ,
"Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders," (II Thessalonians 2:9). The Anti-Christ
sets himself above all law, yea, he declares himself to be God, and that
is the ultimate transgression.
Thus, the Scriptures cast Satan in the roles of; liar, accuser of the Brethren,
hinderer, tempter, sifter, seducer and the lawless one. This is a progressive
revelation of Satan, and the devout student of the Word of God can say
with Paul, "We are not ignorant of his devices," and by the grace
of God we can say with Christ, "Get thee hence Satan."

Defeat
The Devil

As the revelation of Satan is progressive, and we are caused to see his
diabolical character, let us be diligent, double checking our defenses
against him. In Ephesians 6:10-20, God instructs the saint as to
his battle armor and how to succeed in his spiritual warfare with Satan.
The believer's defenses are superior to Satan's attacks, and, like Satan's
character, they too are progressively revealed as follows:
1.)
"The girdle of Truth." A sure defense against Satan's lies.
2.)
"The breastplate of Righteousness." This will protect the child
of God against Satan's false accusations. We should ever live before God
so as Satan cannot accuse us unto God.
3.)
"Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Satan
as the "hinderer" is bent on blocking the true gospel. He has deemed the
best way to do this is by inventing a false gospel. But if the redeemed
are shod with the gospel of Truth, they can tread under foot Satan's false
gospel, and not be hindered by it.
4.)
"Above all take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." The shield of faith is
to protect the believer against Satanic temptations. This shield of faith
will nullify mountainous temptations, and cause the fiery darts of Goliath
to fall at your feet misspent.
5.) "Take the helmet of salvation." This helmet is to protect us
against the sifting efforts of Satan. This helmet keeps our mind saturated
with the fact that our salvation is entirely of the Lord. It tells us that
our soul is eternally preserved in Christ. This truth will not give the
honest Christian a swelled head, but will cause Satan to know that the
saint with this helmet on his head is too big to pass through his sifter.
6.)
"Take ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."This sword is to protect the wielder against the seducing schemes of
Satan. Satan is for ever more trying to bedim God's glory by getting the
elect of God to rebel against the Word of God. There is but one defense
against this seducing power of Satan and that is to know God's Word. Hide
it in your heart that you sin not against God. God said in Hosea 4:6,
"My
people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge."
7.)
"Praying always." Prayer is a positive antidote against lawlessness.
The two sides of prayer are; praise and petition. God will neither receive
the praise, nor grant petition of a lawless child. There is no greater
incentive to obedience than true prayer.

QuestionsLesson
- 9

1. Are the books of the Bible in the chronological order in which they
were originally composed?

2. Why are the Books of the Bible in the order in which they are today?

3. Can any rearrangement of the Books of Genesis and Revelation
be more logical than the places they presently occupy in the Bible? (Any
comment qualifying your answer will be appreciated.)

4. What are the seven ways mentioned in this lesson in which Satan's diabolical
character is manifested?

5. Is there any excuse for Christians to be ignorant of Satan's devices?

6. Are the Books of the Bible chronologically arranged so as to make Divine
revelation progressive?

7. Is the Christian's armor described in Ephesians chapter six sufficient
to protect the believer against Satan's attacks?

8. What sure defense is there against the seducing power of Satan?

9. In Hosea 4:6, what is it God said His people lacked? What was
the consequence they suffered because of it?